Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura and this fanfic is simply a product of my imagination and I am not paid to do this.

Chapter VIII: Sakura's Promise

Sakura collapsed to her bed.

"So, how was your training?" Kero fanned her mistress.

"Fine." Sakura replied.

She closed her eyes and remembered Syaoran's story. She was glad everything turned out all right for the twins. But still, her heart felt heavy as she remembers it.

"I'm so exhausted!" Sakura complained as she pulled her socks.

"You're working too hard." Kero told her.

"Of course! I don't want to lose you, Yue-san or the cards." She looked lovingly at the drawer where she kept her cards.

Kero smiled and took the notebooks from Sakura's bag. He dropped them on Sakura's study table.

"It looks like you have a lot of homework."

Sakura groaned.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Kero quickly settled on Sakura's table.

"Who is there?" Sakura called out.

"It's Tomoyo."

"Tomoyo-chan." Sakura opened the door.

Tomoyo entered the room. "I brought some strawberries."

"Hooray!" Kero flew to Tomoyo and dived into the bowl she was carrying.

Giggling, Tomoyo placed the bowl down and smiled at Sakura. "Are you finished with your homework, Sakura-chan?"

"Not yet." Sakura closed the door.

"I'm finished with mine, maybe I could help you."

"Thanks a lot, Tomoyo-chan."

With Tomoyo's help, Sakura was able to finish her homework quickly. Since Kero finished every single strawberry, Tomoyo took some more as Sakura got ready for bed.

"High school is so hard." Sakura said when Tomoyo returned to the room.

Tomoyo smiled at her friend. She placed the bowl down and Kero started eating again.

"Just two more years, we will be in college." Sakura counted with her fingers. "How could I fit my magical training with all the studying I have to do?"

"I guess sorcery is such a time consuming hobby." Said Tomoyo. "As well as energy consuming." She added when Sakura yawned.

Sakura looked at the window. "Except it is no hobby. It is my destiny."

"Sakura…" Kero stopped eating.

"Ever since I discovered my powers, trouble always followed." Sakura looked down. "I still remember Syaoran-kun's story again and again. Then I feel scared when I remember Ducant. In the past, I also felt scared, but I accepted my responsibility as a Card Captor so I can save everyone I love and all the cool things I was able to do, but now that I'm a real sorceress, I do not know if it's a curse or a privilege anymore."

Tears slowly trickled down Sakura's cheek. "I loved my peaceful life, but now because of my magic, I grow apart from from Naoko-chan, Chiharu-chan, Rika-chan and Yamazaki-kun. And then, now someone to still my powers."

"Do want to tell our friends who you are?" Tomoyo asked silently.

Sakura shook her head. "I wanted to tell them many times ago, but, Tomoyo-chan, I will introduce them to the troubles I found and shared with you. I have brought you close to many dangers already, Tomoyo-chan, and we had to lie a lot and hide things, I don't want them to do that."

Tomoyo nodded. "But do you regret being a sorceress?"

Sakura wiped her tears. "Iie (No). I just wished that I am much stronger so I could go through all the troubles I have to face."

As if reacting to Sakura, her cards flew out of their book and surrounded their mistress.

Sakura looked up, surprised, them she smiled.

"Are you worried about me?" Sakura asked the cards. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I don't regret having you as my friends."

She held out her hand and the cards neatly settled at her palm.

Sakura hugged her cards. "I won't let anything happen to you. I will protect you forever."

At those words, her symbol appeared and glowed around her. As if in a trance, Sakura stood up and the cards surrounded her again.

"Sakura-chan! Kero-chan?" Tomoyo stood up but Kero, behind her, started transforming to his true form.

A few miles away, Yukito suddenly woke up and transformed into Yue. In a room above, Rhea also woke up.

Sakura summoned her staff and a bright star, visible through the window behind her, shone brightly.

"The evening star!" Cerberus gasped.

A small beam of light from the star shone on Sakura's staff, which transformed into the wand Sakura used to battle with Eriol.

"I call upon the powers of the evening star!" Sakura chanted. "Grant me your powers. I am Sakura Kinomoto, the Mistress of the Cards, Shine your light through me!"

The cards and the gems in both Cerberos and Yue's Body glowed. After several minutes, the light subsided and the Sakura symbol disappeared.

Sakura held out her hand.

"I will not lose you to anybody." She said as her cards settled neatly on her hand. "You are my friends. We'll be together forever, I promise."

After that, Sakura collapsed.

Cerberos returned to his false form and together with Tomoyo caught Sakura before she fell to the floor.

The Sakura Cards had Sakura floating towards her bed.

"Thank you, our mistress." The cards chanted. "We will aid you in every perils that you go through." The cards slowly flew back into the Sakura Book.

Tomoyo pulled the covers over her friend and tucked her in. "What happened?" She looked at Kero questioningly.

"Sakura invoked the powers of the Evening Star, one of the most powerful sources of power, greater than the Sun or Moon." Kero explained. "Before, she could only summon the main powers of all the stars which is not that powerful, but now, she received the powers of a specific celestial object. She made herself, the cards, Yue and I more powerful."

"I see." Tomoyo looked at her friend, then she screamed.

"What's wrong, Tomoyo?"

"I wasn't able to film Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo wailed.

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Yue looked outside the window.

"Sakura…" Yue closed his eyes and transformed back to Yukito.

"What am I doing here?" Yukito wondered as he found himself on the garden of Opalake Manor.

Rhea was standing at a small balcony outside her room, watching as Yukito entered the house. She watched the Evening Star , longingly. She closed her eyes as the wind passed by.

She left the balcony and closed the glass door but she looked back and stared at the direction of the Daidouji Mansion.

"United and Divided

East and West

As the Past vanish

Two stars are seen

After 15 links complete

Their chains will be entwined

Their light shall brightly shine

Illuminating the world"

Rhea smiled. "Keep your promise Sakura. At this point, our destiny is decided and trouble is near. Only we can choose what path we wish to take now."

Author's Notes: I want to take this time to thank pickaboo and Avelyn Lauren. Your support really helps a lot. Thanks.